Tofu soup combines a flavorful broth with crisp vegetables and bite-sized tofu pieces. It’s a wonderful dinner recipe, ready in about 30 minutes.
The best part is that you can customize it with your favorite seasonal vegetables – we show you options for all seasons.
Table of Contents
Introduction
There are many ways of making tofu soup, from Korean soondubu jjigae to Japanese Miso soup.
Our tofu soup is an Asian-inspired dish but it’s not authentic in any way 🍜.
It builds on what Louise and I learned as food bloggers and home-cooks making hundreds of healthy soups and easy tofu recipes, and reading your valuable feedback.
We wanted to make a soup that doesn’t have to simmer for hours to get flavorful.
Also, we wanted a good balance of proteins and vegetables in a dish that’s healthy yet tasty and fulfilling.
Now, for those of you with a big hunger (like myself 🙋🏻♂️) we recommend adding noodles or a ramen-style soft-boiled egg. SO good!
Similar to many of our tofu recipes such as our popular fried tofu, marinated tofu, and tofu curry you can make this in about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Tofu: you can use most types of tofu including firm, extra firm, soft, or silken.
- Mushrooms: pick your favorite; white or brown, portobello, cremini, or oyster.
- Dried mushrooms: for extra umami. You can use generic dried mushrooms, dried shiitake or dried porcini.
- Flavor base: with olive oil, garlic, red chili pepper, and ginger. Substitute a teaspoon of gochujang for red chili.
- Soy sauce: substitute tamari sauce for gluten-free.
- Vegetable broth: or any other broth.
- Vegetables: go for seasonal veggies and try different combinations. We recommend broccoli and peas in winter, snow peas and asparagus in spring, zucchini and bell peppers in summer, and cauliflower and frozen edamame beans in fall.
- Miso paste (optional): you can use any miso pate to add more flavor.
- Noodles (optional): honestly guys, noodles are great in this soup! I always add them in. I tried most types and this is what I learned:
- It’s best to use fresh or pre-cooked noodles that come in vacuum packages like ramen and udon because you can add them directly into the soup, let them warm for a few minutes, and you are ready to serve them.
- If you use dry noodles, cook them separately first, then add them to the soup.
- Toppings: we love scallions, cilantro, and sesame oil.
Instructions
Step 1: Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, add grated garlic, ginger, and thinly sliced red chili pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
Squeeze soaked mushrooms out of the water and add them to the pan. Reserve soaking water.
Add fresh mushrooms (chopped), soy sauce, salt, and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add vegetable broth and the soaking water from the dried mushrooms passing it through a fine-mesh sift first (it’s packed with flavor).
Bring to a boil then add diced tofu, broccoli florets, and frozen peas.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are cooked but with a bite.
For extra flavor, you can add a tablespoon of miso paste dissolved in some hot broth shortly before turning the heat off.
Step 3: Taste and adjust for salt. You can increase flavor with more salt, soy sauce, or miso.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro and a drizzle of sesame or chili oil.
Optionally can add cooked noodles, a soft-boiled egg, and/or a tablespoon of kimchi.
Important Noodles Tip
We recommend fresh ramen or udon noodles, but you can also add dry rice noodles or soy noodles:
- Fresh noodles: add them right into the soup with an extra cup or two of vegetable broth, then let simmer for a few minutes as per package instructions.
- Dry noodles: cook them separately first then add them to the soup.
More easy tofu recipes
These are some our readers’ favorite tofu recipes:
They are all deeply satisfying and easy to make.
If you tried this tofu soup recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you ☺️.
Tofu Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1½ inches ginger grated
- ½ red hot chili thinly sliced
- ¾ cup dried mushrooms shiitake are best
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce reduced-sodium
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup broccoli florets substitute asparagus, cauliflower florets, diced bell pepper, sliced zucchini, etc.
- ¾ cup frozen peas substitute snow peas, edamame beans, spinach, kale, cabbage, etc.
- 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste optional
- 4 servings noodles optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
- 1 scallion , cilantro, and sesame oil to garnish.
Instructions
- Soak ¾ cup dried mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes.Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, add 3 cloves garlic, 1½ inches ginger (both grated), ½ red hot chili (thinly sliced) and sauté for 1 minute.Squeeze soaked mushrooms out of the water and add them to the pan. Reserve soaking water.Add 8 ounces mushrooms (chopped), 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 twists black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add 6 cups vegetable broth and the soaking water from the dried mushrooms passing it through a fine-mesh sift first.Bring to a boil then add 16 ounces firm tofu (diced), 1 cup broccoli florets, and ¾ cup frozen peas.Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are cooked but with a bite.For extra flavor, you can add 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste dissolved in some hot broth shortly before turning the heat off.
- Taste and adjust for salt. You can increase flavor with more salt, soy sauce, or miso.Serve in a bowl and garnish with 1 scallion (chopped), fresh cilantro and a drizzle of sesame or chili oil.Optionally can add 4 servings noodles of cooked noodles, a soft-boiled egg, and/or a tablespoon of kimchi.
Video
Notes
- Noodles: we recommend fresh ramen or udon noodles, but you can also add dry rice noodles or soy noodles:
- Fresh noodles: add them right into the soup with an extra cup or two of vegetable broth, then let simmer for a few minutes as per package instructions.
- Dry noodles: cook them separately first then add them to the soup.
- Tofu: If using soft or silken tofu, you might want to scoop it out from its box with a spoon instead of cutting it with a knife.
- Miso: it adds a ton of flavor you guys! Dissolve it in a small bowl with some hot broth, then add it at the end, shortly before serving the soup.
- Tofu: you can use firm, extra firm, soft, and silken tofu.
- Mushrooms: you can use brown, white, cremini, baby bella, portobello, oyster, or any other.
- Red chili pepper: substitute red pepper flakes or a teaspoon of gochujang.
- Soy sauce: substitute tamari sauce.
- Veggies: broccoli and peas are easiest but you can substitute them with snow peas and asparagus in spring, zucchini and bell peppers in summer, and cauliflower and frozen edamame beans in fall.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in a container with space for expansion (up to 3 months).
- Thaw & Reheat: Defrost in the microwave or stovetop, then reheat and garnish before serving.
Delicious and very easy to make! Yes, please add more vegan recipes!
5 star its been on our weekly for 6 weeks now
So delicious and easy to make! It tasted better than if I had ordered it at a restaurant.
Fabulous, DeDee, I’m so happy that it was a success 🥳
Thank you so much for your kind feedback here. All the best,
Louise
This soup was so flavourful and delicious! I made it in a few minutes during my lunch break while working from home and perfect for a frosty morning. Very comforting. Thank you! Definitely something I want to keep making on a regular basis.
This is a keeper!
Thank you so much 🙂
Hi Nico, I just made your soup and it was delicious. I’m vegan so I don’t use oil, I use the vegetable broth to be the stir fry. I watched your video and added the green onion and yellow pepper. I wasn’t sure about the miso. Instead of soy sauce, I use tamari. Please add more vegan recipes. Thanks.